The Liberal Blogging Ad Hominem-ists

By Aaron M. Rodriguez

Like in all states, Wisconsin has its fair share of left-leaning ad hominem-ist bloggers. Instead of critically examining the rational structure or logical soundness of an argument, they typically target the perceived motives of their conservative opponents. This systemic disease in political remonstration may have a number of causes including, but not limited to, cognitive ineptitude, intellectual laziness, outright deception, or just plain liberal delusion.

The most recent occurrence of misrepresentation can be found in the following paragraph:

The blog headlines are scary with two es: ‘Tony Evers’ Scandal?’ reads one. ‘CRG files complaint in DPI race’ reads another. The writers are near giddy with the idea that there’s a there there that will sink the campaign of Tony Evers for state superintendent.

The article I wrote entitled the “Tony Evers’ Scandal?” addressed the allegations of a campaign scandal accentuated by radio personality Mark Belling. Nothing in the article suggested that Evers was personally involved in a scandal, but rather CESA was involved in a matter that was largely none of its business. The notion that I was “near giddy with the idea” that a scandal would sink Tony Evers was a motive ascribed to me by a blogger that most assuredly is not a clairvoyant.

In another part, the same blogger stated:

Because the Rose Fernandez supporters know they have a weak candidate – anemic fundraising and limited experience on the issues, for example – the Dickert email has been the hot topic for the last five days, consuming the blogs and talk radio.

The blogger presupposes that conservatives engaged the story because they knew their candidate was weak. Presumably, conservatives are supposed to overlook a government employee abusing a government email system to raise money for a government official running a non-government campaign for a government office. I can assure you that this conservative did not run the story to distract the electorate with smoke and mirrors, but to notify the public that Mr. Dickert used the networking capacity of the government to raise money for his candidate - an advantage not available to Rose Fernandez.

As for the charge that Rose Fernandez has anemic fundraising and limited experience on the issues, I should point out that this didn’t stop her from defeating Tony Evers (a democrat) in Milwaukee County (a democrat stronghold) with less than 10 times the financing. And since Evers opted out of public financing, it’s safe to say that fundraising is no longer a serious problem for Fernandez.

Also, the “limited experience” argument has lost some steam in recent times. It failed to stop Barack Obama from achieving the presidency precisely because people were frustrated with a crumbling economy and what the DNC coined as “Bush’s War.” Likewise, Wisconsinites are fed up with a pathetically fought war on MPS. With graduation rates at a dismal 46% and spending increases over the past 20 years (despite a lowering enrollment rate), Wisconsin is ripe for change. And Rose Fernandez has bold enough ideas, not only to scare the teacher’s union into a “fight or flight” hyper-aroused state, but to flip an entrenched education bureaucracy on its head.

Here is the problem for liberals. The April 7th election is non-partisan, which means that the traditional R or D designation next to the candidate’s name is absent. A grassroots movement is far more likely to bring out voters than flooding the radio and TV markets with ads targeting a segment of society that is largely unaware of an April election.

Furthermore, Rose Fernandez is carrying the torch of “hope and change” for Wisconsin’s failing school districts by offering parents more choices than her opponent Tony Evers. Because Tony Evers is married to WEAC, he does not have the political flexibility to promote charter schools, vouchers, or even virtual schools for that matter. He has nothing new enough or bold enough to offer in order to temper the growing disgruntlement of trapped parents. Parents want more choice when it comes to their children, and as a puppet of WEAC, Evers can only offer 25 years of more failed school policy. All Fernandez has to do is keep plugging away at growing her current grassroots movement with new and innovative ideas, and she will get the upset that is needed to set us in the right direction.